Bill Graham is rolling over in his grave.<\/p>\n
If only they could come up with a new Dead, a new Santana, a new Airplane that would make these venues worth going to!<\/p>\n
Irving Plaza.\u00c2\u00a0 What the hell was wrong with THAT name?\u00c2\u00a0 A long, storied history, a rich tradition that people believed in.\u00c2\u00a0 But no, it’s got to be remonikered in some business plan created by fucks at Live Nation who weren’t conscious when the ORIGINAL Fillmores were open.<\/p>\n
I’ll grant you Philadelphia’s Theatre Of Living Arts wasn’t quite as catchy a designation, but what was wrong at this established venue, the NAME?<\/p>\n
When BILL expanded he didn’t use the same fucking name.\u00c2\u00a0 Ever hear of Winterland?\u00c2\u00a0 Why didn’t he rebrand that one?\u00c2\u00a0 Because it would fuck with tradition, people’s memories!<\/p>\n
If only Live Nation could come up with a NEW name.\u00c2\u00a0 Then again, these are the people who came up with…LIVE NATION!\u00c2\u00a0 What, are we living in the eighties still?\u00c2\u00a0 When the mainstream merged with hipdom and we were all in it together?\u00c2\u00a0 Live Nation my ass, I don’t want to be a part of any corporate group, collecting me and my so-called brethren under a tent of commercialism, endorsements\/sponsorships galore, just so you can make your money.\u00c2\u00a0 Make me puke.<\/p>\n
The original Fillmore started organically.\u00c2\u00a0 Bill Graham came up with the philosophies as he grew the business.\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, rock and roll was like tech, they made it up as they went along.\u00c2\u00a0 Now it’s just business as usual, managing a mature operation.\u00c2\u00a0 And you wonder why people only go to a show a year, why they don’t care.<\/p>\n
How about NEW traditions?\u00c2\u00a0 NEW bands.\u00c2\u00a0 The major labels are in disarray, why doesn’t Live Nation step up and become the new label?\u00c2\u00a0 Why doesn’t it do something altruistic, as opposed to digging into its corporate past, trying to skate on the good will of an enterprise that CLOSED over THIRTY FIVE YEARS AGO!<\/p>\n
This smacks of Detroit.\u00c2\u00a0 They’re bringing back the Taurus, didn’t you know?\u00c2\u00a0 But the car’s not gonna be a breakthrough, it’s gonna just be a rebadged Five Hundred, a shitty boat that nobody wanted to buy in quantity.\u00c2\u00a0 The name would make NO DIFFERENCE if you played acts the people wanted to see at a fair price.<\/p>\n
Fuck the Fillmore.\u00c2\u00a0 Why don’t you cut down the TicketMaster charge, or the facility fee.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s how you gain your audience’s trust.\u00c2\u00a0 Not by bait and switch, taking old buildings, painting them and giving them a legendary name.\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, isn’t it funny that the man who regrouped the Cars for the MONEY (hell, Todd Rundgren ADMITTED IT) is the opening act in Philadelphia.\u00c2\u00a0 That New Cars fiasco was just that.\u00c2\u00a0 And this new labeling of old buildings won’t hurt business, but it ain’t gonna help either.\u00c2\u00a0 You rename the building and suddenly people want to go?\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, it’s about the ACTS!<\/p>\n
First there was the return to the old regional promoter names.\u00c2\u00a0 Now this spread of the classic "Fillmore" appellation.\u00c2\u00a0 This is just managers of an enterprise trying to scam the public to please Wall Street, it’s got nothing to do with turning on or satiating the customer.<\/p>\n
How about free programs\/playbills, like at the Fillmores of yore?<\/p>\n
No, you won’t do that…who’s gonna PAY for it?<\/p>\n
How about reasonable pricing?<\/p>\n
Oh, your hands are tied by the acts.<\/p>\n
Isn’t this EXACTLY why Bill Graham closed the Fillmores TO BEGIN WITH?\u00c2\u00a0 Because the acts were asking for TOO MUCH MONEY?!<\/p>\n
Show me some innovation, show me something new, don’t try to mesmerize me by CHANGING THE NAME!\u00c2\u00a0 Do something REAL!<\/p>\n
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